I keep writing about making a Week’s Plan. It’s because I believe it’s the most important tool for reconnecting to what’s important to you, focusing your attention, and relieving feelings of being overwhelmed. It’s the practice I teach first and always return to. I design my own life every week using it. Pilot Fire wouldn’t exist without it.

It’s the beginning of the week. What’s so bad about setting a handful of goals that give you a good chance of making this a terrific week? Nothing!

The reason is as simple as this: Focusing part of each week on the most important things in your life that aren’t necessarily urgent, will move you step-by-step, even tweak-by-tweak toward a life that resonates with your core beliefs. Helping you do that is the mission of this site.

Take the next 20 minutes

If this is new to you, great. For old-timers I’m going to skip dealing with roles this time and try something a little different. Before you start, get a piece of paper to write down your goals, and have your calendar at hand.

Step 1. Let go of the past and the future.

This is going to sound weird: do 50 jumping jacks, right now, or those Russian squat-kick dancey things. Then as many sit-ups and you can and as many pushups. Really. Get your mind off of your worries and regrets by concentrating on getting your blood to your brain. If you’ve dosed with caffeine, even better. If you can’t stand jumping jacks, then take a very brisk jog around the block. I’m not talking yoga. You have to get your heart pumping hard for about 5 minutes. (I’m going to do it right now.)

Step 2. Make 5 goals for the week.

Whew! Next are this week’s goals. Don’t think of big goals, think of the important goals you know you have a good chance to complete. The first four are about Vitality, Love, Money, and Creativity. You’ll write them on the slip of paper.

Vitality. What is the one most important thing you know you can do to pay attention to your health? This can be as simple as:

Buy a yoga matt

Get to the gym 4 times this week

Schedule the chiropractor, finally

Cook a new healthy meal on Wednesday (for my man!)

Call Lesley to plan our weekend hike

Sign up Steve and me for the adventure race in July

Take a minute now to really consider what will nurture the fire of your own Vitality— the one thing you know you will do to take care of your body’s needs.

Write it down.

Love. Your next goal is about tending to someone else. What is the most important loving thing you can do for a friend, a child, a lover, a companion— just one thing that moves you toward the kind of love you know you can give and want to do this week?

Write it down.

Money. What is the most important thing you can do this week to attend to the health of your finances, not the most urgent. Do you need to mail in those insurance claims? Call an attorney to get your will in order? Set up an informational interview? Open a savings account?

Think about the sturdiness money energy. What small goal will make this week feel like you took a step toward building your wealth?

Write it down.

Creativity. During this week, what will you do to make the world around you a little better. How will you connect to the innovative spirit we all have that contributes to the Big Goodness? What is the one most important thing you know you will actually do this week,that will tap the extraordinary energy only humans seem to have that links their desire to make something important with actually making it.

Write it down.

Step 3. Schedule them.

Pull out your calendar and put each of these goals into it. Block out the day and time you will do them, and make sure you also include each goal on the Do List for that day. Be honest about them. Will you actually get to each goal? If you have doubts, then make adjustments.

Your 5th goal.

Now, sometime at the end of this week, find a 20-minute slot to add this goal:

Step 4. Do them.

It’s better to fail than to not even try. So when the time comes to focus on a goal, set everything else aside and dig in. Remember, a goal is a reminder of what you thought was important. Trust yourself. Do it.

And have a great week!

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